And adoniram j



EA'IENTED EEE.2, 1904. C. E. BEEESE IEA. J. WILSON. SIGNAL SYSTEM EOEELECTRIC EAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

MMHWM ATTORN EY S WITNESSES UNITED 4STATES CHARLES P. BREESE, OFNORFOLK, VIRGINIA, ANI) ADONIRAM J. WILSON,

Patented February 2, 1904.

.PATENT OFFICE.

OF VVESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO THE HALL SIGNAL COMPANY, ACORPORATION OF MAINE.

SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC RAlLpWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 751,048, dated February2, 1904.

Application filed May 5, 1902. Serial No. 1051871- (NO mOdeL) `T allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES P. BREEsE, a resident of Norfolk, in thecounty of Norfolk and State of Virginia, and ADONIRAM J. WIL- SON, aresident of Westfield, Union county, New Jersey, citizens of the UnitedStates, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SignalSystems for Electric Railways, of which the following is aspecification.

Our improvement relates to signaling systems for electric railways. Ithas for its object to provide means for enabling the signals of such arailway to be automatically actuated by cars upon the track.

It consists of the novel devices and combinations herein shown 4anddescribed.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming-a parthereof we have shown the preferred form or embodiment of Vour invention.

Referring to such preferred form, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic viewrepresenting three complete blocks of an electrical railway providedwith our improved 'devices in its preferred form. Fig. 2is a detailshowingamodication of the electrical connections upon the car.

1 represents the source of electrical energyas, for example, the dynamoat the powerhouse.

2 is the continuous-feed conductor, running the length of the road orsome portion thereof.

3 3 represent a series of intermediate supply-conductors, one for eachblock, for conveying the current from the continuous-feed conductor tothe cars. These intermediate supply-conductors are electricallydisconnected from adjoining supply-conductors of other blocks, and theymay be made wholly independent of one another or be made of a continuouswire divided into blocks insulated from one another. Each block isconnected by a wire 4 with the continuous-feed conductor.

7 represents a trolley-car upon one of the blocks; 8, its trolley-arm,and9 the wire connecting it with the switch-box 10; 11, theswitch-operating arm; 20, the Wire connecting with the motor of the car.(Not shown.)

14 14 are signal-controlling magnets, one for each block. As shown, theyare connected with the continuous-feed conductor through part of wire 4and also by means of the other part of wire 4 with intermediatesupply-conductor 3 of its block. As shown, these magnets are normallydenergized. Each magnet controls its signal through a circuit-controller15 in circuit with the signal 5. As shown, each circuit-controller 15 isnormally on its back-stop in its closed position, but is broken whenevermagnet 14 is energized.

The signal and its circuit-controller are normally in circuit with thecontinuous-feed conductor and are also connected with the rethrough partof wire 4, wire 17, circuit-con- Y troller 15, and wire 18 toreturn-conductor 6.

The signal itself is provided with a high resistance, 'through which thesignal-circuit passes, and this resistance is so adjusted that onlyenough current will pass through the signal when the signal-circuit isclosed to operate the signal in one direction, preferably to move itpositively to safety. This resistance may be of any form or kind and isnot shown in detail in the drawings, but its presence is merelyindicated, as at point 21 in the signalpost, where signal-operatingmechanism of any usual kind is placed for operating the signal.

The operation of our improved devices is as follows: With no car uponthe track magnet 14 is denergized and circuit-controller 15 is on itsback-stop and closed, closing the circuit through the signal-operatingdevice, including the resistance (indicated diagrammatically at 21,) andpositively moving the signal to safety. The circuit connection formed bythe closing of the circuit-controller 15 is from the dynamo 1, the mainfeed-wire 2, Wire 17, armature 15, connecting-wire 18, resistance 21 tothe return-conductor 6. This condition of affairs is shown in the twoblocks at the right in Fig. 1. When the Vcar enters a block, as seen atthe left in Fig. 1, the circuit through magnet 14 is closed andcircuit-controller 15 is moved from its back-stop, breaking the sig-`nal-circuit and permitting the signal to go to danger,7 which it does bymeans of a weight or spring or any other suitable means. The signalremains at danger as long as the car is on the block. In order toprevent the signal from returning to safety while the car is on theblock by the motorman shutting off current through the motor, wepreferably provide a by-path through wire 23, connecting wire 9 withreturn 6 and containing a resistance 12, and, if desired, by means of abrush 19, connected with the switch, resistance 12, and the axle of thecar, and so arrange the switch that when it shuts off power through themotor it will connect with the by-path, so as to preserve the circuitclosed through mag'net 14.

, This form is shown in Fig. 2. The resistance 12 may be made of anysuitable degree of strength consistent with magnet 14 holdingcircuit-controller 15 in its broken condition. By means of our improveddevices a normally closed circuit is maintained through the hereto.

I/Vhat we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. VIn a signaling system for electric railways, the combination of acontinuous-feed conductor connected withasource of electrical energy, anintermediate supply-conductor for each block for conveying the currentfrom the feed-conductor to any car that may be upon the block, eachsupply-conductor being electrically disconnected from thesupply-conductors of adjoining blocks, a return-conductor, a signal foreach block normally in circuit with the continuous-feed conductor andprovided with a high resistance, through which the signal-circuitpasses, so adjusted that only enough current will pass through thesignalcircuit when it is closed to operate the` signal in one direction,and an electromagnetic means for controlling said signal and connectedwith the continuous-feed conductor, all so arranged that the presence orabsence of a car upon a block will change the electrical condition ofthe said electromagnetic means of said block and thereby change thecondition of the signal.

2. In a signaling system for electric railways, the combination of acontinuous-feed conductor connected with a source of electrical energy,an intermediate supply-conductor for each block for' conveying thecurrent from the feed-conductor to any car that may be upon the block,each supply-conductor being electrically disconnected from thesupply-conductors of adjoining blocks, a return-conductor, a signal foreach block, normally in circuit with the continuous-feed conductor andprovided with a high resistance, through which the signal-circuitpasses, so adjusted that only enough current will pass through thesignalcircuit when it is closedA to move or hold the signal at safety,and an electromagnetic means for controlling said signal and connectedwith the continuous-feed conductor, all so arranged that the presence orabsence of a car upon a block will change the electrical condition ofthe said electromagnetic means of said block and thereby change thecondition or' the signal.

3. In a signaling system for electric railways, the combination of acontinuous-feed conductor connected with a source of electrical energy,an intermediate supply-conductor for each block for conveying thecurrent from the feed-conductor to any car that may be upon the block,each supply-conductor being electrically disconnected from thesupply-conductors of adjoining blocks, a return-conductor, a signal foreach block normally in circuit with the continuous-feed conductor andprovided with a high resistance, through which the signal-circuitpasses, so adjusted that only enough current will pass through thesignalcircuit when it is closed to move or hold the signal atsafety, anda magnet controlling said signal connected with the continuous-feedconductor and normally denergized, whereby the presence of a car uponthe block will energize said magnet and cause it to break the circuitthrough the signal to send it to danger.

4. In a signaling system for electric railways, the combination of acontinuous-feed conductor connected with a source of electrical energy,an intermediate supply-conductor for each block for conveying thecurrent from the feed-conductor to any car that may be upon the block,each supply-conductor being electrically disconnected from thesupply-conductors of adjoining blocks, a return-conductor, a signal foreach block normally in circuit with the continuous-feed conductor andprovided with a high resistance, through which the signalcircuitpasses,so adjusted that only enough current will pass through thesignal-circuit when it is closed to operate the signal in one direction,and a magnet controlling said signal connected with the continuous-feedconductor, a circuit-controller in circuit with each signal andcontrolled by said magnet, all so arranged that the presence of a carupon the block will alfectthe magnet to move its circuit-controller tocause it to move the signal to danger.

5. In a signaling system for electric railways, the combination of acontinuous-feed conductor connected with a source of electrical IOO IIO

IIS

t X I f energy, an intermediate supply-conductor for each block forconveying the current from the feed-conductor to any car that may beupon the block, each supply-conductor being electrically disconnectedfrom the supply-conductors of adjoining blocks, a return-conductor, asignal for each block, normallyin circuit With the continuous-feedconductor and provided with a high resistance, through which thesignalcircuit passes, so adjusted that only enough current Will passthrough the signal-circuit when it is closed to move or hold the signalat safety, a circuit-controller in circuit with each signal andcontrolled by said magnet and operated by it to normally close thecircuit through the signal and hold it at safety, all so arranged thatthe presence of a car upon the block Will affect the magnet to open itscircuit-controller and break the circuit through the signal to cause itto move the signal to danger.r

6. In a signaling system for electric rail- Ways, the combination of acontinuous-feed conductor connected With a source of electrical energy,an intermediate supply-conductor for each block for conveying thecurrent from the feed-conductor to any car that may be upon the block,each supply-conductor being electrically disconnected from thesupply-conductors of adjoining blocks, a return-conductor, a sig-4 nalfor each block normally in circuit with the continuous-feed conductorand provided with a high resista-nce, through Which the signalcircuitpasses, so adjusted that only enough current Will pass through thesignal-circuit when itis closed to move or hold the 'signal at safety,and a magnet controlling said signal connected With the continuous-feedconductor and normally denerglzed, a clrcult-controller CHARLES P.BREEsE. AnoNiRAM J. WrLsoN.

Witnesses:

CLARENCE W. COLEMAN, EDWTN SEGER.

